Bridges

On June 21st, BABC's Executive Director, Andrew Casteel, and Dave Campbell of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC) joined SB1061's sponsor, State Senator Loni Hancock, to urge the State Assembly's Transportation Committee to approve SB1061, which allows for the use of local bridge tolls to fund the west span bicycle-pedestrian-maintenance pathway on the bay bridge. Our statements of support stressed the importance of completing shore-to-shore pedestrian and bicycle access to fighting congestion, increasing tourism and reducing pollution. The committee voted 7-3 to approve SB1061, which will now go to the Assembly Appropriations Committee and then a full Assembly vote. Our thanks go out to Senator Hancock for sponsoring this important legislation and all our partners whose continued support of SB1061 through letters, testimony and phone calls have brought the bill and the dream of shore-to-shore access closer than ever before. BABC is already mobilizing support for SB1061's approval by the Appropriations Committee as we continue our work to ensure shore-to-shore access for all road users.
West Span Bay Bridge Bike Lanes Clear Hurdle - CBS 5

Senate Bill 1061 (D-Hancock) was passed by the California Senate today. It is now moving on to the Assembly committees for review before it would be voted on by the full Assembly. This bill would allow toll revenues from the region to fund a Bicycle-Pedestrian-Maintenance pathway on the west span of the Bay Bridge, completing shore to shore bike and pedestrian access from San Francisco to Oakland. The Bay Area Bicycle Coalition would like to thank State Senator Loni Hancock for sponsoring SB1061 and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, East Bay Bicycle Coalition, California Bicycle Coalition and our numerous other partners who have supported this bill. Together we are making the dream of shore to shore access for bicycles and pedestrians a reality. We will keep working to get this bill passed by the Assembly so make sure to check back for new updates.

STATUS:No bicycle or pedestrian access on the West Span. Access on the East Span is expected upon completion of the replacement bridge (after 2011 at the earliest).

UPDATE: Senate Bill 1061, which would allow bridge toll funds to pay for the bicycle/pedestrian pathway, was passed by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on March 23, 2010. For more updates visit the bill status page.

While the new East Span structure of the Bay Bridge has been designed to have a 15.5-foot-wide bicycle, pedestrian, and maintenance pathway that will run along the eastbound deck, no funding has been set aside for West Span bicycle/pedestrian access. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, and the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition together have been working to gain support for funding of a pathway on the West span that will enable non-motorized traffic to conveniently cross the Bay between San Francisco and Oakland.

As a result of these efforts, in February 2010, State Senator Loni Hancock (D - Oakland) introduced Senate Bill 1061 which will be voted on after March of this year. If approved it will give the Metropolitan Transportation Commission the authority to use bridge tolls to fund a Bay Bridge West Span bike and pedestrian pathway.

Imagine you live in Oakland. It's a beautiful day and you have plans to do something with a friend who lives in San Francisco. You hop on your bike and ride over the new Bay Bridge: The 7-mile trip is easy, and offers beautiful views of the bay. Except that your bike lane ends suddenly at Yerba Buena Island, leaving you no choice but to turn around, go home and take BART — for $7 — or pay a $5 toll and add your car to the traffic grinding across the bridge. That's because there's no cash on hand to pay for a bike lane on the western span, even though it would cost less than 5 percent of eastern span's cost overruns alone. Read more...

Carrying State Route 92 between San Mateo and Alameda counties, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge does not provide access to non-motorized traffic. The bridge was opened in October of 1967 and then widened in 2003 from four to six lanes of traffic, yet a pathway was not added as part of this project. Public transportation was, however, made more convenient to cyclists with the AC transit Line M that carries up to six bikes. While Line M was federally funded by a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant, and represents bicycle-friendly improvements, providing unlimited non-motorized direct access on the bridge is the only way to provide equal access, not to mention reduce congestion and improve air quality. Contact Robert Raburn, Executive Director of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition to support these efforts: robertraburn AT ebbc DOT com

The new Benicia-Martinez pedestrian/bicycle lane on the Senator George Miller, Jr. Memorial Bridge closes a gap in the San Francisco Bay and Ridge Trails. This lane also serves as a link in the Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail, which is a 50-mile trail that crosses both the Benicia-Martinez Bridge and Al Zampa Bridge spans over the Carquinez Strait. Bicyclists and pedestrians using this new path are treated to stunning views of the Suisun Bay, as well as the Carquinez Bridge and the Mothball Fleet.

STATUS:Bicycle and pedestrian access on a path separated from the roadway by a barrier

<!--{126697247273929}--> The new bike and pedestrian pathway on the Carquinez Bridge opened on May 16, 2004. The 12-foot-wide path is located on the western side of the suspension bridge connecting Solano and Contra Costa counties along Interstate 80.

STATUS:Unlimited non-motorized access on path separated from the roadway by a barrier.

The original structure of this bridge was built in January of 1927, and then rebuilt in December of 1984 for safety and traffic congestion reasons. This 1984 replacement span was constructed with a bicycle and pedestrian pathway and is open 24 hours a day. The Dumbarton Bridge connects State Route 84 between San Mateo and Alameda Counties near Newark and East Palo Alto.